The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-03

Ho Dackln down mere, COl. CiInch, unless you
and Hale kalkilate to back down the state of
Californyl The matter stands like this:
There's halfbreed Mexican, called Manuel,
arrested over at the Summit, who swears he
saw George Lee and Edward Falkner in this
house the night after the robbery He says
that they were maxim themselves at home
here, as If they were among friends, and
considerin' the kind of help we've had from
Mr.. John Hale, it looks ez if it might be truen
@It's an infamous lie" said Hale
''It may be true, john" said Mrs. Scott,
suddenly stepping in front of her pale
checked daughters. "a wounded man was
brought here out of the storm by his friend,
who claimed the shelter of your roof As
your mother | should have been unworthy to
stay beneath it and have denied that shelter
or withheld it until l knew his name and
what he was. He stayed here until he could
be removed. He left a letter for you 1t will
probably tell you if he was the man this per-
son is seekingn
"Thank you, mother" said Hale, lifting
her hand to his lips quietly; land perhaps
you viii kindly tell these gentleman that, as
your son does not care to know who or what
the stranger was, there is no necessity for
opening the letter OF keeping Mr.. Stanner a
moment longer"
'But you will oblige me, John, by opening
it before these gentlemen" said Mrs. Hale,
recovering her voice and color. please to
follow me-" she said, preceding them to the
staircase.
They entered Mr.. Hnle's room, now re-
stored to its original condition. On the table
lay letter and q small package. The eyes
of Mr. Stanner, little abashed by the atti-
tude of the two women, fastened upon it and
glistened.
Josephine handed her husband the letter.
He opened it in breathless silence and read:
"John Hale:
ave owe you no return for voluntarily
making yourself q champion of justice and
pursuing us, except it was to offer you fair
field and no favor. We didn't get that much
from you, but accident brought us into your
house and into your family, where we did
get it and were fairly vanquished. To the
victors belong the spoils. We leavethe pack
age of greenbacks which we took from Col
Ciinch in the Sierra coach, but which was
first stolen by Harkins from forty four share
holders of the Excelsior Ditch. We have no
right to say what you should do with it, but
if you aren't tired of following the same line
of justice that induced you to run after US
ers.
"We leave you another trife as an evidence
that our intrusion into your affairs was not
without some service to you, even if the SER
vice was as accidental es the intrusion You
will find a pair of boots in the corner of your
closet. They were taken from the burglari-
Gus feet of Manuel, your peon, who. believ-
ing the three ladies were alone and at his
plice at o'clock on the morning of the 21st,
and was kicked out by
"Your obedient servants,
GEORGE LEE & EDWARD FALKNER."
Hale's voice and color changed on reading
this last paragraph. He turned quickly
toward his wife; Kate flew to the closet,
where the muffied boots of Manuel confronted
them. "We never knew it. 1 always sus-
pected something that night" said Mrs Hale
and Mrs. Scott in the same breath.
"That's all very well and like George Lees
high falutin'," said Stanner, approaching the
table, "but as long ez the greenbacks are
here he can make what capital he likes outer
Manuel. I'll trouble you to pass over that
package"
"Excuse me-" said Hale, "but believe this
is the package taken from Col. Clinch. Is il
not?" he added, appealing to the colonel.
at is" said Clinch.
"Then take it," said Hale, handing him the
package. "The first restitution is to you, but
l believe you will fulfill Lees instructions as
well as myself"
"But," said Stanner, furiously interposing
dive warrant to seize that wherever found
and dare you to disobey the law"
"Mr. Stanner," said Clinch, slowly, "thert
are ladies present. If you insist upon having
that package must ask them to withdraw
and I'm afraid you'll find me better prepared
to resist second robbery than I was the first
Your warrant, which was taken out by tht
express company, is supplanted by civil pro
ceedings taken the day before yesterday
against the property of the fugitive swindlel
Harkins! You should have consulted th'
sheriff before you came here"
Stanner saw his mistake. But in the face
of his grinning followers he was obliged Il
keep up his buster. "You shall hear from
me again, sir" he said, turning on his heel.
81 beg your pardon" said Clinch grimly
''but do 1 understand that at last am e
have the honor
"You shall hear from the company's law
yers, sir" said Stanner, turning red, ant
noisily leaving the room.
anu SO, my uedT ldCieS, sttiu SOl SlluCu
s'you have spent a week with ahighwayman
II say a highwaynan, for it would be hard T.
call my young friend Falkner by that nam
| for his first offense, committed under grea
| provocation, and undoubtedly instigated b,
| Lee, who was an old friend of his, and t
whom he came, no doubt, in desperation"
Kate stole triumphant glance at her sis
ter, who dropped her lids over her glistenin
H. r. r - nl.a
more gently" is he really highwaymanN
"George Lee" said Clinch, settling himsel
back oratorically in his chair, "my dear youn
lady, is highwayman, but not of the CON
mon sort. He is gentleman born, madam
comes from one of the Oldest families of th
eastern shore of Maryland. He never mike
himself up with anything but some Of th
| biggest strikes, and he's an educated mar
| He is very popular with ladies and children
he was never known to do or say anythin
that could bring a blush to the cheek 9
beauty or tear to the eye of innocence.
think 1 may say I'm sure you found hiI
son
IT shall never believe him anything but
| gentleman" said Mrs. Scott firmly.
@If he has defect it is perhaps too reck
less indulgence in draw poker" said tn
| colonel ruslngly; mot unbecontpg gentle
man, understand me, Mrs. Scott, but perhap
too reckless for his own good. George playe'
grand game, a glittering game, but pardol
me if I say an uncertain game. I've tol'
him SO; it's the only point on which we eve
differed"
"Then you know hirn?" said Mrs. Hale
lifting her soft eyes to the colonel.
II have that honor"
"Did his appearance, Josephine" broke i
Hale, somewhat ostentatiously, "appear t
-er-er-correspon with these qualities
| You know what mean"
"He certainly seemed very simple an
natural" said Mrs. Hale, slightly drawin
her pretty lips together. "He did not wea
his trousers rolled up over his boots in th
company of ladies, as you're doing now, no
did he make his first appearance in thi
house with such hat as you wore this morn
ing, or should not have admitted him."
There were few moments Of embarrassin
silence.
"Do you intend to give that package
Mr.. Falkner yourself, colonel?" asked MIR
Scott.
.I shall hand il over to the Excelsior con
nj -